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      =                                                               =
      -              WELCOME TO THE THIRTEENTH ISSUE OF               -
      =                                                               =
      -                        -=>PHANTASY<=-                         -
      =                                                               =
      -               A PUBLICATION AND NEWSLETTER OF                 -
      =                                                               =
      -                             THE                               -
      =                        INTERNATIONAL                          =
      -                         INFORMATION                           -
      =                          RETRIEVAL                            =
      -                            GUILD                              -
      =                                                               =
      -        Hacking,Phreaking,Anarchy,Survivalism,Commentary       -
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         Volume Number Three,Issue Number Thirteen Dated 12/26/92
               Editor is Mercenary : mercenar@works.UUCP

             Article Submissions: The Mercenary/IIRG
                                  862 Farmington Avenue
                                  Suite 306
                                  Bristol,Ct 06010

             Phantasy Headquarters BBS: The Rune Stone
                                        14.4K HST
                                        Invitation Only
                                        All H/P/A, 2500+ Files
                                        (203)-PRI-VATE

           IIRG World Headquarters BBS: Dark Shadows 
                                        19.2/9600 Baud HST
                                        1.2 Gigs Online
                                        (203)-PRI-VATE


        Table of Discontents:

          
          [1] Dark Shadows Information
              By: Mercenary
              
          [2] USR Information
              By: Knight Hack
              
          [3] [TDT VS SOD] Whats the Story ?
              
          [4] Fairlight Members Quit and Form Sinister
                           
          [5] FOR THE PEOPLE
              Supplied By: Bulletin Boards Across the Country
              Edited by: Mercenary 

                1. Blitzkrieg BBS Information
                2. Chaos Communication Congress 1992
                3. Steve Jackson Games 1993 Calendar

          [6] The Rumor Mill (Unconfirmed rumors from the Underground)
              Edited By: Mercenary

                1. CDC's 200th Phile Released
                2. Sub-Lamer Alert

          [7] PHANTASY TIDBITS: News and Views of Interest
                    
                1. `Genius' Plagues Cable TV  
                2. Is It Illegal to Defend Against Hackers
                3. The Secret Service Strikes Again
                4. Hacker is Charged with Espionage  
                  
          [8] Listing of IIRG Distribution Sites

          [9] Listing of PHANTASY Distribution Sites

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

    OFFICIAL DISLAIMER...

    All information in PHANTASY is from USER contributed material
    The Publishers and Editors of PHANTASY and THE IIRG disclaim
    any liability from any damages of any type that the reader or
    user of such information contained within this newsletter may encounter
    from the use of said information. All files are brought to you for
    entertainment purposes only! We also assume all information infringes
    no copyrights and hereby disclaim any liability.

    PHANTASY is (C) 1990 by The IIRG
    IIRG and INTERNATIONAL INFORMATION RETRIEVAL GUILD is (C) 1982

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
 
 Section [1]: Dark Shadows Information
              By: Mercenary


          The Dark Shadows BBS is currently down at this time. 

  Anubis has had a slight disagreement with SNET, mainly he didnt pay his 
 old account off and they cross referenced it to him at the BBS.
  He apologizes for any inconvenience this may have caused some of you, but
 such are the misfortunes of the underground. 
  For some time now, Anubis has wanted to change the boards number and weed 
 out some of the userbase. So for those of you wanting Access to Dark Shadows 
 and the boards new phone Number, Please contact me via E-mail at,

                            mercenar@works.UUCP

  There may be some delay in Dark Shadows going Back up, so after Jan 1rst
 the Rune Stone BBS will be accepting New Users and the Number will be posted
 hopefully in the next issue of Phantasy if all goes well.
  So if your dialing finger gets itchy and you cant find a H/P/A library
 large enuff to suit your tastes, drop me a note at My address above and
 I'll get The Rune Stones Public Line Number out to you as soon as its
 installed.

                             Mercenary/IIRG
  
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

 Section [2] USR Information 
             By: Knight Hack

 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

  USR PRESS RELEASE
  -----------------

 "IMPORTANT WARNING TO BULLETIN BOARD USERS:"

  It has recently come to our attention that some bulletin board operators
 and other third parties have been improperly distributing copyrighted
 firmware that will add USR's proprietary "HST" protocol to USR "Sporster"
 modems without having to compensate USR for the conversion.
  Some of these persons have further been telling customers that if such a
 conversion is made, it will not adversely affect the customer's right to
 warranty service from USR.
  USR has not authorized the dissemination of this firmware. The company
 considers any such attempts to improperly incorporate copyrighted "HST"
 features into non-HST modemd to be a clear infringement of USR's rights
 under Federal Copyright Law.
  Persons contemplating such action should be aware that the Copyright Act
 of 1976 provides stiff remedies for acts of copyright  infringement,
 including the impounding of all infringing copies,monetary damages,special
 statutory damages,costs,attorny fees,and even potential criminal liability.
 (17 U.S.C. Secs 502-506)
  USR will take whatever steps it deems necessary to protect its copyright
 rights. In addition, USR's warranty will not extend to products that have 
 been tampered with in this manner.

 ..........................................................................

 ALSO: Please note that it has aslo come to our attention that versions of
 this firmware being disseminated contain disguised code (Trojan Horse) that
 may inflict irreparable damage to the hard drive of the computer utilizing
 the programs.

 ...........................................................................

          We regret the necessity of having to post this warning.

  Please Understand that USR has spent considerable time,effort,and money to
 research and develop the software embodied in its products.
  Like any manufacturer, we cannot simply sit back and tolerate attempts to
 misappropriate our copyrighted programs in this manner.

                             U.S. ROBOTICS INC.

 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

 IIRG NOTE: 

   Here we see a company trying to cover its ass. They use the same mother 
  board in 2 versions and disable some features in the ROM's.
   Now the word has gotten out and they're trying to make up for possible 
  lost revenue. Too bad, what a shame.
   Isnt't it a coincidence they just cut the list price of the HST line 
  By $200.00? Any sysop can get an HST for 449.00 the sporster runs about
  $290.00. Thats only a saving of $159.00 
   The real piss-em off anyway is the modification of the 14.4 to 16.8
  anyway.
   I see Boardwatch magazine picked up this story too, so you might want 
  to read their article. They do not have a clue about what USR means though.
   Ive seen copies of the complete EPROMS online, and they're talking about 
  some share ware utility that just saves you some keystrokes.
   As for modifying the code, yes there IS a bad copy floating around that 
  will trash your FAT. So just watch where you grab your code.

      L8r,

             Knight-Hack

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

 Section [3]:[TDT VS SOD] Whats the Story ?

 The Following files are Currently circulating amongst the Pirate Community
 Apparently the First File is a flame by SOD, and the Second is TDT's
 response.

 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

                   FED BUSTS -*- TDT TEMPORARLY DISBANDED                               

      This will not be written with grammer or anything in mind.  This is
   Pepsi Man, The sysop of CARBON NATiON.  CN [Carbon Nation] was a TDT
   Member Board, TRWS Member Board, Skid Row Site, and Genesis Project
   Site.  Well things were going great with all the 0 day files coming
   in from the couriers.  Even calls from Sweden were coming in.  Well
   the trouble came up when I decided that 1.4 gigs weren't good enough.
   Even though The Grim Reaper gave me some awesome deals on HD's before,
   I just couldn't get enough money together.  I decided I would just 
   card the Drive and thats all.. no more.. Eveyone would be happy.. So
   Well I called up the company.. [Western Digital] and ordered a 660
   Meg HD with a Card Number I got from The Grim Reaper.  SO I went to 
   pick it up at the post office, and everything was great.. I installed 
   and was running off 2 Gigs.  After making many conference calls between
   Myself, Grim Reaper, and Soultaker, we decided that we could really make
   some money of this.. Enough to double or releases by having constant
   cash flow to give to the suppliers.  So I ordered 5 80 meg Maxtor HDs
   with this same Card.  The Grim Reaper picked them up.. by this time the
   Feds are into the picture.  THe fucking Feds figured out the Card was
   bad on teh first order when the company called to tell them that they
   suspect fraud when the owners of the card number I was using did not
   make any purchases regarding computer shit.  So they got intouch with
   Western Digital and said to notify them next time an order came in with 
   this card number.  SO they did this and the call was traced back to my
   house.  My phones have been tapped for a week or 2 now.. Hope no one 
   important called.. I did not know about any of this fucking shit and 
   when The Grim Reaper came to pick the drives up he was busted.  The 
   stupid fuck was so selfish he turned in all active members of TDT and
   gave them his accounts on many of teh largest BBS's across the known 
   pirate world.  Well after the Fedz logged on my BBS they checked it
   out and came to my house the next day.. full of warrants and all this 
   fucking shit.  Well my BBS has been down for about 4 days now.  The 
   Feds are logging on as me on many BBS's and checking them out.  My phone
   is off the hook for my BBS.  The fedz have my user list and the phone tap
   has about 2 weeks worth of calls logged on it.  Now to everyone who knows
   me, you know I could give to shits.  I am a minor still and don't think
   they will do shit but confinscate all my Computer shit and thats it.
   THe main reason I am saying this: DO NOT CALL EITHER OF MY BBS LINES! 
   ALSO DO NOT CALL ME VOICE.  EVERYTHING IS TAPPED AND BEING RECORDED.
   I have a feeling that many sysops will be receiving some voice calls.  
   I encourage to quit the scene now.  Not forever.. just till this shit 
   clears up.  THe Fedz have me on Piracy, Mail and Creidt Fraud, Phone 
   fraud.. all this bullshit.  Also Sysops: DELETE ME OFF YOUR BBS's. THE
   FEDS WILL LOGON AS ME AND FUCK YOU UP!

        Also I hope this will convince you guys:  Get out now.  Some of
        you guys have a wife and kids.  Grim Reaper fucked us over big
        time.  Take your BBS's down at least for a week or 2.. Don't be 
        stupid.  I admit getting the newest and hottest shit from the
        best Groups is awesome but its not worth prison.  You gotta
        draw the fucking line somewhere.  Well I've said my share..
        Hope you will heed my warning.. I speak from experience.

                                   Pepsi Man
                            -*- THE DREAM TEAM -*-


        Well a Few Final Words:
        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

        The Grim Reaper:  Man you were an incredible supplier.  Too bad
                          you were too fucking lame to go down alone.  
                          You'll always be a fucking loozer.


           Lord Thinker:  You were right man.. I guess I did have my
                          Priorities fucked up.  Good Luck in Razor.
                          Looks like they will rule the scene now eh?
                          Too bad we got fucked up in the end.  I'm 
                          sorry about teh shit I pulled.  Hope you
                          accept the apology.  Don't call voice.  You
                          don't need Fedz showing up at your door.
                          Just know I am sorry.  

              Soultaker:  Thanks for all the shit you did for CN.  
                          I really appreciated it.  THanks man.  Call
                          you when all this shit cools..

              Hard Core:  You run an amazing group.  Hope it can survive
                          the shit Grim pulled on us.  Good Luck in the
                          future.  Stay away form this though.. you got kidz.

                    S.S:  Get out of it man.  You were a great friend who
                          actually cared.  I should have taken your warning.

           Sought After:  Busts going on everywhere eh?  You were cool to
                          talk to.. Wish it could go on.  Thanks for all.


        To all I forgot:  I have no more time.  I gotta run.. I hope you
                          understand the problems.  Stay outta the heavy 
                          shit.  I really have no more time.  I love you.
                          You made it worth the risks.  Thanks for the good 
                          times.


           To Sysops:  DELETE MY ACCOUNTS OFF YOUR BBS'S.  FEDS WILL BE 
                       UNDER THEM.  I WARNED YOU.



                I'll write another file after we are arrained and tell you
                what the fuck is going on.  I just hope it all goes well.

                Keep fucking pirating.  TDT won't die.

                        -Pepsi Man
                        -Sysop: CARBON NATiON
                        -TDT Member
                        -TRWS Member
                        -Genesis Project Site
                        -Skid Row Dist. Site
                        -Retiring Pirate - (Till the Fedz are off my case
                                           that is) :*)

 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

  -------------------------- TDT WAS NOT BUSTED ----------------------------

  As you all know 708/312 has a gigantic problem with a group called SOD,
Stormtroopers of Death.  They are an anti-semetic group of hackers who prank,
trash, crash, and destroy sysop's hd's and boards.  They've been harassing
people like Pepsi Man (Carbon Nation), Mr. Goodwrench (Mechanical Resistance),
and Dray (The Slow Zone) for many weeks now.  They have released many trojan
fakes (like X-Wing).  This time SOD seems to have hit very hard.  Today
at approx. 10:00 pm on Tuesday, the 22nd, a user named 'DOOMSDAY' uploaded a 
file named TDT-BUST.NFO   
The file was supposedly written by Pepsi Man about TDT getting busted.  
I personally found out about this when a Razor 1911 Member called me to check 
out whether or not it was true (thinking I would know before anyone else, since 
it seems I'm pretty friendly with Pepsi Man)  He told me to call up The BoG 
and get the file, and look at it, so with him online I picked it up and
read it.  It was classically mispelled just like Bernard, but the notes to
me didn't make much sense, priorities?  It made no sense.  Anyways.. a little
later I get called back by the one razor member and he asked if I had talked
to Pepsi.  By then I had called the bog and Unlawful back and forth 4 times
checking out the user Doomsday and whether or not he could have gotten the
.nfo from there.  I talked to Mr. Goodwrench, and after deleting everything
off my HD (hehhehe) he mentioned SOD.. then it all made sense.  SOD hated
Pepsi as well as a few other people in the area code.  I told the RAZOR
member that it was bullshit, and then after pretending to hang up I was
clicked into a conference (they had been running one behind my back).  I
listened to them for about 10 minutes then Pepsi called me up.  I talked to
him and he verified that it was bullshit.  He said he talked to Grim and
that Grim said it was Pyradical, which would make sense knowing Zelnik, but
overall SOD is the obvious choice.  SOD is the guilty party.  They did it.
The Leader of SOD called Pepsi's Qmodem about 10 minutes after I talked to
him and Pepsi told him sarcastically, "Nice textfile asshole."  Sargent
Death thanked him, "yeah, I thought it was pretty k-RaD Elite myself.
Merry Christmas Bernard, it's my Christmas present to you, I was kinda
bored tonight.. had nothing better to do."


-Lord Thinker/The Spindoctor
-RAZOR 1911-

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

 Section [4]: Fairlight Members Quit and Form Sinister

 The Senior Members of Sinister have written their own accounts of what
 happened with Fairlight. Fairlight is spreading a lot of rumors about what 
 happened so they felt they should provide some information.

 IIRG NOTE: This Information was provided to us by a third party, and not
            directly by Sinister.  


                     1. Shadow Angel's Story
                     2. Con Artist's Story
                     3. Silent Stalker's Story   

     

                       -- Shadow Angel's Story --
                              
 Welp,  it's  been  a  few days now  since  Fairlight's massive reorganization,
and a lot  of  people  are  hearing different  stories from different people. 
I've  gotten  more phone calls than I can count from people asking me just what
the  heck  happened. So, I've decided to answer everyone at once.
 First  of all, I had hoped that when this whole thing came about,that there 
wouldn't have been any hard feelings between anyone in Fairlight and those of 
us that weren't in the group anymore. Guess that didn't happen. More  on  that
later.
 Yes,  I  was kicked out of Fairlight,and yes Silent Stalker was kicked out as 
well. The reason was because we had talked about quitting Fairlight. 
See, I had been in Fairlight for almost a year and had been through some really
good times, and through some really shitty times. I stuck it out, and never 
became a group jumper. I did a lot of work in and for Fairlight, as did a lot 
of other people. But ever since the major setback that happened with 
Mournblade/Grim Reaper situation, Fairlight hasn't been the same. 
Certain people thought they could do as good of a job, or better as Grim did, 
but let's face it, Grim is an incredible supplier. He works harder at it than 
anyone else I've ever known. And when he was no longer in the group, and we 
were short $2000 somehow or another, it put Fairlight in debt. Major debt. I
think we could have gotten out of it if we played it smart, but continuous fuck
ups in supply such as ordering games, and then turning them away, or the pickup 
person not showing up, or whatever, started to cost the group. There weren't
any releases, our supplier fucked up continuously and it didn't seem like 
anyone cared. The Fairlight senior staff seemed to be more interested in 
consoles than they did their jobs in the PC world that they bestowed upon 
themselves. 
 Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I could have done their job better, and I 
know it's not an easy job, but there's no excuse for Fairlight to have missed 
everything it did.
 Another problem was the fact that certain senior staff members were doing 
things to  the  group  without either getting the rest of the senior staff 
votes, or even telling the rest of senior staff. Things like adding members, 
adding dist sites, removing members and sites, etc.. It got pretty damn 
ridiculous. We had members that no on in the group even knew. Then it happened.
All of the sudden one day, we all hear that Ford Perfect (The appointed FLT 
president) jumped back into the world and started kicking people out, lowering
members, removing members, etc. He kicked out all but seven dist sites. Yes, 
that's right, seven distribution sites were all that was left.  Then Silent  
Stalker  found  out (On accident no less) that he was being lowered out of  
senior staff. We're talking about one of the hardest working people left in 
Fairlight. And why? Because someone else said they wouldn't join the group 
unless Silent Stalker was dropped from senior staff. To me, that's bullshit. 
Silent  Stalker had  been  in the group for awhile. And had done a LOT of work.
 He took the courier system, and along with Con Artist, made it work. So 
needless to say, SS started to seriously consider quitting.
 I on the other hand, was still unaffected by all the changes. But, I didn't 
like the way that Ford just 'popped' in and did all these sudden changes 
without  consulting senior  staff  first. It was my belief that we ended the
dictatorship  when  Grim Reaper left the group. Guess not.
 Anyway, while talking with Silent Stalker one night, we started to seriously 
consider starting another group. We hadn't decided to quit yet because Silent
Stalker hadn't been told about being lowered yet. He wanted to make sure what
he heard was true first. So we decided to wait, and find out.
 The  next  day there was a small conference call with Silent Stalker,
Con Artist, Beach Bum, and  I. It's  my assumption that Silent Stalker found 
out for sure  that he was being taken out of senior staff because Con Artist 
kept telling us to give Fairlight another two weeks to see if it would get 
better. Since Silent Stalker was such good friends with Con Artist, we agreed.
 Mistake. Apparently Ford Perfect was  on  someone's call waiting, and that 
someone  kept clicking over and letting Ford know what was going on.  
 I don't know for sure who it was, but I think I know. Anyway, later that day 
Ford kicked me and Silent Stalker out. He told us that we had been trying to go
around getting people to  quit Fairlight. Which wasn't true in any way. He also
told Silent Stalker that Venom, Orion and Blade Runner told him that Silent 
Stalker started a conference to get him (Ford) kicked out of Fairlight. 
Another lie. I've talked with Orion, and he nor any of the other two people 
mentioned,  said anything like that. Ford also lied to Con Artist.  
 He told Con that Silent Stalker quit the group, which of course pissed Con 
Artist off. (Remember, Con was still under the  impression that we were going
to give Fairlight another two weeks) Anyway, so now that Con Artist found out 
the truth, he decided to quit Fairlight also. Another good Fairlight person,
gone.
 So where does this leave Silent Stalker,Con Artist,Me and Fairlight? Well, 
Silent Stalker, Con Artist, and I have started a new group called Sinister. 
At first,we were worried about the response,but honestly it's been surprising.
 The number of Fairlight people that were unhappy and ready to quit, has been 
unbelievable. I'm  not saying that they're all coming with us, but for a lot of
them that aren't, they aren't staying with Fairlight either. The purpose of the
new group will be to have fun. Not to rag  on other  groups, and not to stab 
our members in the back just to get something done. We're  psyched about it,
and hopefully, a lot of other people will be too. As for Fairlight, I don't 
know. Since the breakup, they've been harassing couriers that have come with 
us, and  yelling at their parents. How mature. They've threatened others in
Sinister as well. How macho. The amount of lies that Pete's told to everyone 
is incredible. And it's also incredible that anyone would believe him. On 
more than one occasion, we've  proven them wrong, and will continue to do so
in  the future  for anyone that really wants to know the truth. As for their 
future? Who knows. I don't know who's staying and who's  not. I don't know how 
they're going to get the money to pay off their debts and still have money to 
release stuff. I hope they do, though. Even if I'm not in the group anymore,  
I still would like to see them become what they once were. They've got a lot 
of work to do if they want to do it, but then again, we have a lot of work to 
do if expect to be successful. But I wish both groups the best of luck,
and hope that there's no hard feelings that won't go away.

                     --  Final Words --

 I know this has been lengthy, and I'm sort of sorry. But I know that there's
been a lot of curiosity about what's been  going on in Fairlight ever since 
Grim lefty. I hope I've cleared everything up, and I hope I've been objective
and not too one sided. The events above are as I've  seen them from the member
standpoint. I know there's things in the group that have happened that I don't' 
know about, and I know  that the group didn't evolve around me. But I do think
I've  heard and been told enough to know what's been going on. I know that from
this file, there's probably going to be a few people pissed off, and I'm sorry.
 I just told it like I believe it is. I had a lot of fun in Fairlight, and I 
hope I can have the same amount of fun in the new group I'm in.

                        Peace to all.

Greets:
-------
Silent Stalker - Grab that sax boyeee.. Let's jam!
Orion          - Congrats on the new senior staff position, I hope they utilize 
                 it better than they have in the past.
Blade Runner   - I appreciate what ya did for both me and Mike. It took guts.
VenoM          - Congrats on getting your position back. Shouldn't have left in 
                 the first place.
Strider        - Too little too late guy.
Grim Reaper    - For once, you could have been right.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                            --Con Artist's Story-- 
 Ok the reason I am writing this text file is so that people will be
informed what is going on and so there are no rumors floating around.
 It all started when Ford Perfect called me up and told me that he was
thinking about booting Silent Stalker out of Senior Staff status.  I did not
agree with that decision because he had worked his ass off for 2-3 months on
the couriers and the dist sites and many other things and as far as I know 
neither did another Senior Staffer Blade Runner.  Ford Perfect then said he 
would not kick Silent Stalker out of Senior Member status for now.
 On the other side of the coin Silent Stalker finds out about this
and thinks about just leaving and starting a new group with Shadow Angel and
a group of other members.  He had been thinking about just leaving the group
because of the lack of releases and the no quality releases that was being put
out from FLT. I convinced Silent Stalker to stay another 2 weeks to see if
I could somehow help out and get the suppliers to start suppling so Silent
Stalker would not quit.  Silent Stalker agreed.
 The next day I come home from school to find a message on the VMB
that Silent Stalker had quit FLT.  Of course I was mad because he had given
me his word that he would stay another 2 weeks and see what would go on.  I
call Gank Master and Beachbum the 2 people I talked to alot to find out what
had happened.  Neither knew what was going on so I called Ford Perfect and he
told me that he had kicked out Shadow Angel and that Silent Stalker had an
attitude and he was also kicked out of the group.  Ford wanted my decision 
wether I was going with them or to stay with FLT.  I chose FLT without talking
to Silent Stalker to hear his side of the story.  
 Couple hours later Silent Stalker calls me up and tells me that Ford
had kicked out Shadow Angel and when he heard about it, he also quit.  He
said he called Ford Perfect to quit but before he could say that he got booted.
I was in a jam.  Ford Perfect has been a great friend over the years starting
when I was in INC.  Silent Stalker also has been a great friend starting when
I got into the VMB scene.  So I decided just to drop the scene for an
indefinite amount of time.  So for 3-4 days I was outta a group and I started
missing it, I guess after 8yrs of this you can't just let go of it.  So I
decided to come back.  I looked at my options on which group to pick and I
looked at FLT and said why would they take me back I had just quit the group.
So I figured I had 2 other choices that being Razor or the "new group".  I 
looked in Razor and I don't know any of those people there except Witch King.
I looked at the "new group" and saw my old buddies over there having a good
time.  So I decided to join the "new group".  They could've put me as a 
courier for all I cared, just as long as I was having fun.  I became a senior
staff member and I accepted the offer(who wouldn't?).
 The next day my phone doesn't stop ringing getting calls from people
asking me if this was all was true, I said yes it was.  They all got pretty 
mad at me for some reason.  I had an intention of calling Ford Perfect myself 
to tell him but instead I was put into a FLT conference and they called Ford 
for me.  They also got Silent Stalker on the line.  So Ford came on and 
started saying I was an "asshole" and "backstabber".  I did not really care
what he said becuase I could some what understand why he was pissed.  So I
told him and everybody on the confernce from FLT, "You guys can hate me all
you want, you can rag on me, but I can't hate you back cuz you guys have not
really done anything to me."  So to me there was no hard feelings, to FLT
there where.  
 So later in the day I find out that Ford Perfect and couple more FLT
people called up one of our couriers, Fugazi.  They had rude remarks to his
parents, both mom and dad.  We have a tape of it and probably put it out to
show you what was said.  I myself do not think that was a right thing to do.
I can understand if Fugazi had answered the phone and they ragged on him, but
when they bring the parents into it then they go a little bit to far.  I have
not talked to anyone about this but have heard the tape and will hopefully
talk to Ford Perfect about it. 
 I am not here to bash on FLT, cuz as far as I know they're still my
friends.  I am here to have fun whether I be a courier or Senior Member it
does not matter.  I am hear to support my new group called 'Sinister'(SIN).
If I have to get couriers then I will try my best to get couriers to support
my group.  People can say all they want about us not gonna release and all 
that stuff, but I'll tell you now we may not be #1 in the group scene maybe
not even #2 or 3 but WE WILL BE HAVING FUN IN THE GROUP, COURIERS INCLUDED!
So I end it here, I hope somethings have been cleared up.  If you have any
questions you can find me on quality boards around.

			   Peace
			-Con Artist-
		    Sinister Senior Staff

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

              THE DEATH OF FAIRLIGHT -/- THE BIRTH OF SINISTER

                              Silent Stalker


     There has been a lot of rumors going around as to what happened with FLT
so I'm going to tell the WHOLE story.  I'm not going to lie because I don't
need to.  I will try to make this short and leave out a lot of the bullshit
that has transpired over the last week.

FRIDAY 12/11/92     Con Artist and I talked and both agreed it just wasn't
fun any more.  FLT wasn't releasing anything and the group was dying.  We
talked to Ford Perfect and discussed the group.  During the conference we
found out that a game was released without anyone notifying CA or myself
which meant the couriers would not know about it.  The packager read "THE
HAWK" so we assumed he was responsible.  The .nfo file was incorrect also,
which really pissed us off because CA told Hawk it was wrong and not to use
it.  For a little background, Hawk hates Shadow Angel with a passion and
replaced SA's board with Body Count as the board to call to apply for FLT. 
This also pissed us off for two reasons:  Body Count was always busy and we
felt is was not fair for SA to have to war dial Body Count every day to see
if anyone applied for FLT.  I and everyone else agreed Hawk should not make
any changes to the .nfo form.  In fairness to Hawk, he did not package the
game (the real packager just left his handle there) but he did screw up the
.nfo file.  Ford Perfect kicked Hawk out of Sr. Staff and left a paragraph
ragging on him.  I do not recall if he kicked out VenoM that night or the
next, but that is irrelevant.  

SATURDAY 12/12/92   I learned Ford Perfect was going to remove me from Sr.
Staff also.  I was offended that anyone would even consider removing me
because I did more work for FLT than anyone.  When I say "I" I also mean Con
Artist because we almost always work together on everything.  EVERY one of
the dist sites that paid FLT for December were sites that I made.  I also
totally redesigned the courier system and for a first time the dist sites we
had were happy.  I had also established several contacts for supply for FLT. 
Anyway, I simply said if I was removed from FLT Sr. Staff I'd quit.  Later
that evening I was read the Sr. Member list and my name was missing.  To be
fair to Ford Perfect, he later claimed his laser printer just "didn't print
your name" for some reason.  I was on a conference when this was read and I
thought about it.  How could someone (it was not a Sr. Staff decision as was
supposed to be) dick me over so bad?  I asked all of those on the conference
if they'd stay in FLT if I left or leave with me.  Shadow Angel said he'd
leave with me.  Nuclear War & Beach Bum said they didn't know.  It was an
open question to anyone on the conference.  I never secretly called people as
Ford claims.

SUNDAY 12/13/92     After everyone disagreed with Ford removing me from Sr.
Staff I found out he changed his mind.  All was well and I agreed NOT to
leave FLT.  Then someone told Ford I was going to leave with Shadow Angel. 
Next thing I know SA called me up and told me Ford kicked him out.  I told SA
if he was gone I was gone because it was my idea in the first place (even
though we were not going to leave) so I called Ford up to tell him I quit. 
Ford said what's up and I said Keith just called me.  He said he kicked us
both out of the group and accused me of trying to have him overthrown.  Now
this is complete bullshit.  Ford is the one who got me into the scene and
made me an INC member.  My loyalty has always been to him.  When he left INC
for FLT I was the first to go with him.  I even organized the Cool Hand Coup
so Ford would come back to INC.  I was the most loyal person to Ford there
was.  He claims I "rode his shorts", while in reality I worked my ass off for
two months while he did absolutely nothing as president.  I would NEVER even
think about kicking Ford out, I'd simply leave the group first.  This is how
it happened.

THE LIES 12/14/92   Ford lied to various members of FLT, telling them I tried
to have him kicked out and that I was forming my own group.  Ford even told
Hawk I tried to have him kicked out.  The truth is when Ford removed Hawk
from the Sr. Staff I disagreed and called for a Sr. vote.  It never happened. 
The whole idea of organizing FLT with a Sr. Staff was so NO ONE person would
be in charge.  If it were not for Ford & his president position we'd all be
in FLT right now.  If Hawk had even asked the other people on the conference
like Con Artist, Dr. Bombay, Fourth Reich, & Always Dangerous he'd know the
truth and how I stuck up for him.  I only wish I had it on tape.  But if Hawk
is going to believe them over me then I guess he isn't the friend I thought
he was.  

CA QUITS 12/15/92   After I told Con Artist the truth, he quit FLT so he
wouldn't be in the middle of it.  We had both agreed months before that when
one of us quit we both would.  We also agreed FLT would be our last group,
but neither of us saw this coming.

NEW GROUP 12/16/92  I began assembling my new group.  Since CA, SA & I added
every one of FLT's dist sites, they were eager to come with me to my group. 
Lame releases on FLT's part over the past two months helped them make their
decision even more.  Since I had made the courier system what it is now,
almost every courier came with me.  When I say "I", I couldn't have done it
without Con Artist, and since he was not in FLT the couriers had no reason to
stay.  So now I had a good friend since I joined FLT (Shadow Angel), a lot of
dist sites, and 3/4 of the courier system.  Most of the people in FLT (sites
& couriers) had never talked to anyone in FLT besides CA, SA, or myself. 
Thus we had "half" of FLT.  The good half.  Our friends were with us.

CA JOINS 12/18/92   Con Artist refrained from joining my group because he was
friends with Gank Master, Beach Bum, and Ford.  After he saw for himself how
they were being dicks he decided he would join the group, which we then
called Sinister.  Now I had all of my friends with me.  

     Ok, now to discuss Fairlight.  1) For the past two months FLT hasn't
released anything of substance.  Scrabble, Vanna White, Commander Keen, etc. 
I can't remember a file over 1 meg that they've released.  2) FLT's dist
sites have been VERY unhappy.  Most of them feel as if they've been ripped
off.  I feel as if they have too.  3) They are severely in dept.  Some of
their suppliers have quit supplying until they are paid off.  With one or two
dist sites in January this is NOT going to happen.  They owe Night Ranger UK
$250, Nuclear War $200, Flashback $500 minimum probably around $700.  And
most important, they owe their dist sites 2 months worth of quality releases
that were promised.  4) They lost their reputation as a good group.  Dist
sites are not going to pay to be a site any more.  5) They lost 90% of their
couriers.  If they do get any sites, they're not going to get the releases in
a timely manner.  And most important.. 6) They lost the two people who did
more for them than anyone else: Con Artist & Myself.  

     This is not meant to rag, just to inform people as to what's really
going on.  Everything I've written here can be confirmed by the couriers and
dist sites.  If you have any doubts about what I'm saying, DON'T take my word
for it!  Call a couple dist sites and ask them yourself.  Dist sites are the
heart of the group.  Without them, there is no group.  

     Now to discuss Sinister.  Con Artist, Shadow Angel, and myself are the
three Sr. Members.  We've all been friends for a while now and work great
together.  We totally trust each other.  We've vowed never to screw over
anyone in our group and we vowed Sinister is our last group.  If it weren't
for the courier system CA & I made in FLT and all the time we put into it, I
would have just quit the scene.  But I spent over 2 months of devoting hours
each day, every day to FLT.  I just can't let it go to waste.  Neither can
CA.  We're going to do everything we can to make this group work.  We've got
more accomplished in the past week than FLT has in the past month.  The most
important thing is WE'VE BEEN HAVING FUN!!!  I've had more fun this past week
than I've ever had since I got into the scene.  CA told me something I
haven't heard him say in months, "That conference was fun!"  Fun is our main
objective.  I'm not going to let it become a job, like FLT was for the past
2 months.  Our couriers have had fun.  Our dist sites have had fun.  And we
haven't even released one thing yet!  We're not out to be number 1 right
away, that takes time.  We just want to give our dist sites quality releases. 
One thing we will NOT do is participate in rag wars.  We're going to leave
that to the other groups.  It's always been my dream to start a cracking
group, to be one of the original founders, and to see the group doing well
years later and say "I started that group!"  Well the time has come. 
Fairlight's motto was "When Dreams Come True" and mine sure have.  

     Now you're probably wondering what we've got going, so let me briefly
mention some things.  We have approximately 20 sites, including HQs & Member
boards.  We have THE best courier system of any group, which can be
attributed to THE best couriers in the whole scene.  After 2 months of 1 meg
releases from FLT, the couriers are eager to spread.  Having more couriers
than sites will ensure every site getting our releases within 24 hours.  Two
of the best crackers in the scene will be cracking for us, although they will
be independent.  We are looking for a cracker that can dedicate himself to
the group.  Now for the killer.. Supply.  I have several connections at
several key companies, including some inside connections.  For obvious
reasons I cannot list who our suppliers are.  I will be honest, we are
working on setting up some more accounts and will continue to do so
throughout the rest of the year.  By January we should be in good standing
and ready to officially start the group.  FLT will say we do not have any
suppliers.  If FLT had released much of anything then maybe it would be
credible, but they haven't.  For now our list of members, couriers, and dist
sites will be kept private.  

     If you are interested in joining Sinister, please contact one of us on
a major board or you can call the Sinister vmb at 1-800-877-8055 *203.  Leave
your info and we'll get back to you.  

     Everything I said was not meant to degrade Fairlight, but rather to
inform everyone.  They have been lying about us and our group and we think
everyone should know the whole story.  Everything I wrote was the truth and
can be confirmed by a number of people.  I could have lied to make FLT sound
worse or Sinister sound better, but a group based on lies will fall apart
once those lies are discovered.  Fairlight will realize this very soon, and
they will be in more trouble than they are now.  This is my story, Shadow
Angel has already wrote his and Con Artist is working on writing his story
also.  Although our stories will be from different views, I'm sure they'll
have the same basic idea.  

To everyone who got in the middle of the whole thing - I'm sorry it had to be
this way.  This is the last thing I wanted to happen, but I found out who my
true friends are.

To the people who I thought were my friends, including those who I brought
into the scene and made members of Fairlight - I suppose I was too trusting
and too nice.  It's in my personality, I can't help it.

Someone in Fairlight said "When people leave the group, those who stay move
up in rank."  Well for those who stayed just for this reason, a title after
your name doesn't mean shit any more.  It's what you do for the group, and
what you do for your friends who got you there that counts.


PEACE!   

- Silent Stalker

 Thank you for reading our stories. Since these stories were written, 
we've added even more suppliers to Sinister. We will be fully operational in 
January so watch out!  Until then, enjoy the holidays and have a 
Merry Christmas.

        Con Artist  -=-  Shadow Angel  -=-  Silent Stalker

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

 Section [5]: FOR THE PEOPLE
              Supplied By: Bulletin Boards Across the Country
              Edited by: Mercenary 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                        Blitzkrieg BBS Information
                                12/07/1992

                        The current NUP is: SAMHAIN

        Please post this on the boards you call so we can get some
        new callers and maybe some of the older ones back. Since
        the FBI rumors some people have been scared away. I was not
        raided! Tell them it's safe.

        If anyone would like to help TAP get rolling again in 93 and
        you have access to a lazer printer we are in need of cover
        art and space fillers. Anything relating to computers, phones,
        electronics, etc, or maybe some original stuff. I could also
        use some borders on the edges of a paper and fill the insides
        with an article. Those who send in something that is used will
        receive a free issue and their handle will be included in the
        credits if you want it there. Also if you have some articles
        you want to see in print start sending them in. Those who have
        already subscribed will get an extension for the free issue.
        Those who have subscribed and never gotten anything if you have
        moved please mail in your NEW address. Do not leave it in
        feedback. I hope to have TAP going strong once again and i'm
        sorry for such a long delay... shit happens.

    Blitzkrieg Bbs, Post Office Box 20264, Louisville Kentucky, 40250-0264

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                      Chaos Communication Congress 1992
                         "Es liegt was in der Luft"
                       "There is something in the air"

  From December 27 to December 29 1992 the Chaos Computer Club organizes
 the 9th Chaos Communication Congress.
  In parallel to the old features of the Congress ("Hack-Centre",Workshops)
 there will be some new topics.
  One of these new features is about cellular networks and other
 topics of cordless telecommunication....
  This topic is going to be more important in the future. Cellular networks
 get bigger and bigger, the frequency range is rising up to gigahertz range.
  
 Do we get contamined by these high frequency networks ?
 How do these networks operate? What will happen if they crash or get hacked ?
 Should it be allowed to tap this networks (not allowed in the FRG now),
 If not, why not ?

  To these and other questions there will be diskussed answers and alternative
 possibilities of the old style to answer to these questions.
  Since two years ago there rised a scene of computer-freaks
 which have the possibility to use the international phonelines
 without payin' the bill. This possibility appears - not only to us -
 as a commitment to all people all over this planet (for now).
  There will be discussions on how to realize this civil-right,
 and if it's too hard to realize now, how to realize it in the future.

 Other topics at the Chaos Communication Congress 1992 are:

             Feminine computer usage - WOMEN ONLY !
             How to use networks - Beginners
             How to live with Networks - Semi-Professionals
             How to live in Networks - Maniacs
             Chip-Cards - Could you eat them ?
             What happened if you eat them with acid blobs ?
             What happened if you smoke them?

         Prices: All three days: 36 DM (Members 26 DM)
         One day each: 15DM (Members 10DM)

 Contact:

 Chaos Computer Club e.V.e 
 Schwenckestr. 85
 2000 Hamburg 20
 Tel.: +49-40-4903757
 Tue. &. Thu. 16.00 - 22.00 Uhr, Otherwise VMB

   To get information about where to sleep if you come to visit
   the CCC 92, please contact:

                  sleep@drdhh.hanse.de (Internet Mail)

             or call +49 40 490 37 57 (Voice-Box System)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                      Steve Jackson Games 1993 Calendar
                   Convention / Trade Show / Business Trip
                              updated 12/4/92
 .............................................................................

 CHRISTMAS             Dec. 25            PAID HOLIDAY
 HOLIDAY               Dec. 28-31         OFFICE CLOSED
 NEW YEARS DAY         Jan. 1, 1993       PAID HOLIDAY
 OFFICE OPEN AGAIN     Jan. 4, 1993
 HIA (CRAFTS)          Jan. 16-20, 1993   Dallas, TX            JC, DB
 TNNA (CRAFTS)         Jan. 22-26, 1993   Anaheim, CA           JC, DB
 WARCON                Feb. 5-7, 1993     College Station, TX   LB=SpecG
 GAMA                  March 8-11, 1993   Las Vegas, NV         SJ,LB,DB,JC
 CALCON 8              March 19-21, 1993  Alberta, Canada       SJ=GOH
 DEFCON V              April 16-18, 1993  Somerset, NJ          SJ=GOH
 WIZARD'S CHLLNGE XI   Apl. 30-May 2, 93  Saskatchewan, CANADA  LB=GOH
 BRAZIL (?)            May 20-30, 1993    Brazil                SJ
 CAP CITY OPEN HOUSE   May 1-5, 1993      Madison, WI           DB
 DIAMOND COMIC-CON     June 4-9, 1993     Atlanta, GA           DB
 ORIGINS '93           July 1-4, 1993     Fort Worth, TX        SJ,LB,DB
                                                                JC,JK,CM
 DRAGONCON             July 16-18, 1993   Atlanta, GA           SJ=SpecG
                                                                DB?
 SEYG (CRAFTS)         July 28-Aug.1, 93  Charlotte, NC         JC,DB
 GENCON                Aug. 17-23, 1993   Milwaukee, WI         SJ,LB,JC
                                                                DB,JK,DP
 CONTRAPTION           September 1996     ENGLAND               SJ=GOH

 ............................................................................

 GOH = Guest of Honor
 SpecG = Special Guest

 SJ=Steve Jackson   LB=Loyd Blankenship
 JC=Jill Cunningham DB=Dana Blankenship
 JK=Jeff Koke       CM=Chris McCubbin 
 DP=Derek Pearcy

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Section [6]: The Rumor Mill (Unconfirmed rumors from the Underground)
              Edited By: Mercenary

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

        _   _                                                      _   _
       ((___))                                                    ((___))
       [ x x ]                 cDc communications                 [ x x ]
        \   /                      presents...                     \   /
        (' ')                                                      (' ')
         (U)                                                        (U)

       The cDc #200 Higgledy-Piggledy-Big-Fat-Henacious-Mega-Mackadocious
       You-Can't-Even-Come-Close-So-Jump-Back-K-B00MIDY-B00MIDY-B00M File

                                                         by Swamp Ratte'

In April of 1989, cDc communications became the first telecom group to release
one hundred files.  Since then, cDc has become the longest-lasting group in
telecom, in addition to the most prolific.  Now cDc brings you its 200th
release, another first in the computer underground.  By far cDc's most eagerly
awaited work, this mega-file is packed with so much flavor your brain is sure
to explode.  If not, read it again.

MR. T says: "Hey, fool!  If I were you, I'd grab cDc's #200 B00MIDY file
             right now!  You just can't get a better file!  
             Take it from me - Mr. T!"

           Be Sure to grab it from your Favorite H/P BBS Today!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   
                               SUB-LAMER ALERT

   From: PARACHUTING LLAMA
   Subj: WARNING       

 Here's a big time l00zer for ya. 
 Anybody have a "Mickey Mouse", or A. Albano on their board? 
 He goes with the following stats:
          
          Handle: Mickey Mouse
            Name: A. Albano
         Address: [EDITED]
     City, State: Mahopac, NY
             Age: 23
 
 His REAL age is about 15 or 16,

 He has already been locked out of several boards in my area. 
 He usually calls in the 914 area code. If he calls your board, LOCK HIM
 OUT!! he is persistantly annoying, and does things like: renaming files
 and uploading them over and over again, leeches files at the slightest
 chance, persistantly tries to hack other people's passwords, and many
 other things. This is a just a simple warning!
 He will also threaten to have Law-Enforcement visit you.




-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

 Section [7]: PHANTASY TIDBITS: News and Views of Interest

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                           *       *       *
 
                       `GENIUS' PLAGUES CABLE TV 
 
  [ Industry back to drawing board as Winnipeg pirate breaks code ]

                    by Paul Wiecek, Police Reporter

  Cable industry officials in the U.S. have gone back to the drawing
 board after a local man described as an "electronics genius" cracked
 the sophisticated computer code that scrambles pay-TV signals.
  Police believe the man cracked the code some time in the past year and
 then produced more than 1,100 home-made descramblers that he sold in
 local bars and as far away as Vancouver for $220 each.
  Crime Insp. ron Dawon said the man's basement factory is believed to be
 the largest of its kind ever uncovered by police.  It has forced
 industry officials to rethink the technology cable companies use to
 protect their pay-TV signals.
  Sgt. Arnie Wolochatiuk -- one of the two officers who worked on the
 complex six-month investigation -- said the man's arrest last summer
 had reverberations as far away as Chicago.
  Wolochatiuk said an official from Zenith, which manufactures
 descramblers for Winnipeg's two cable companies, flew to Winnipeg
 after the man was arrested to "marvel" at his craftsmanship and try to
 figure out what went wrong.
  "He's got to be some sort of electronics genius to dream up this
 scheme," said Const. Mike Kuzma, Wolochatiuk's partner in the case.
  Local cable companies charge $15-$18 a month for the channels the man's
 descramblers were picking up for free.
  "It's very discouraging," said Hans Schmidt, general manager of
 Greater Winnipeg Cablevision, noting the current descrambling
 technology was supposed to be almost foolproof.
  Schmidt said Zenith officials are now looking at new designs for their
 descramblers.
  Police making a routine call to a Springfield Road house last June
 noticed some high-tech electronics equipment in the basement along
 with a large number of television converters, and passed the
 information to District 4 detectives., 'q' to quit.]
  Kuzma said the man was arrested and 44 of the illegal converters were
 seized over the summer.  The rest are unaccounted for.
  James Ernest Millar, 31, who has since moved to Vancouver, is facing a
 variety of charges under the telecommunications provisions of the
 Criminal Code.
  Kuzma said the man somehow managed to replicate the computer boards
 that make up the descramblers and had them mass-produced by a company.
  He then assembled them with the necessary computer chips and installed
 them in ordinary television converters.
  Operations manager Charron Kerr said Videon has already taken steps
 that make the descramblers useless for par-per-view stations and the
 movie channel.
  She said the remaining channels in the pay-TV package will be
 reprogrammed in the coming months.

                        *       *       *

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                  IS IT ILLEGAL TO DEFEND AGAINST HACKERS

 The following excerpt from CERT Advisory CA-92:19 suggests that it
 may be a federal crime in the U.S. for computer system administrators
 to take certain actions to defend their systems against a hacker.

 The risk described here is not entirely about computing: it is mostly
 a legal risk created, I think, by legislators and administrators that
 are insufficiently aware of computing technologies and practises.  A cynic
 might suggest other reasons for these kinds of legal opinions.
 are insufficiently aware of computing technologies and practises.  A cynic
 might suggest other reasons for these kinds of legal opinions.

 Lines marked with > are direct quotes; see two other comments by me later.

 John A Lloyd  (enough to distinguish me from others, I hope!)
 Supervisor, Technical Support 
 MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd Richmond BC Canada
 jal@mda.ca

>
>CA-92:19                         CERT Advisory
>                                December 7, 1992
>                            Keystroke Logging Banner
>
>The CERT Coordination Center has received information from the United States
>Department of Justice, General Litigation and Legal Advice Section, Criminal
>Division, regarding keystroke monitoring by computer systems administrators,
>as a method of protecting computer systems from unauthorized access.
>
>The information that follows is based on the Justice Department's advice
>to all federal agencies.  CERT strongly suggests adding a notice banner
>The information that follows is based on the Justice Department's advice
>to all federal agencies.  CERT strongly suggests adding a notice banner
>such as the one included below to all systems.  Sites not covered by U.S.
>law should consult their legal counsel.
>
>    The legality of such monitoring is governed by 18 U.S.C. section 2510
>    et seq.  That statute was last amended in 1986, years before the words
>    "virus" and "worm" became part of our everyday vocabulary.  Therefore,
>    not surprisingly, the statute does not directly address the propriety
>    of keystroke monitoring by system administrators.
>
>    Attorneys for the Department have engaged in a review of the statute
>    and its legislative history.  We believe that such keystroke monitoring
>    of intruders may be defensible under the statute.  However, the statute
>    does not expressly authorize such monitoring.  Moreover, no court has
>    yet had an opportunity to rule on this issue.  If the courts were to
>    decide that such monitoring is improper, it would potentially give rise
>    to both criminal and civil liability for system administrators.
>    Therefore, absent clear guidance from the courts, we believe it is
>    advisable for system administrators who will be engaged in such
>    monitoring to give notice to those who would be subject to monitoring
>    that, by using the system, they are expressly consenting to such
>    monitoring.  Since it is important that unauthorized intruders be given
>    that, by using the system, they are expressly consenting to such
>    monitoring.  Since it is important that unauthorized intruders be given
>    notice, some form of banner notice at the time of signing on to the
>    system is required.  Simply providing written notice in advance to only
>    authorized users will not be sufficient to place outside hackers on
>    notice.

In other words, you must "give notice" lest you be convicted of snooping (and,
of course being a victim of unauthorized monitoring your attacker will go
free.)  How do you ensure that snoops, crackers and disgruntled employees are
guaranteed to view a message when you can't guarantee they are prevented from
logging in in the first place?  Catch-22, eh?

>    An agency's banner should give clear and unequivocal notice to
>    intruders that by signing onto the system they are expressly consenting
>    to such monitoring.  The banner should also indicate to authorized
>    users that they may be monitored during the effort to monitor the
>    intruder (e.g., if a hacker is downloading a user's file, keystroke
>    monitoring will intercept both the hacker's download command and the
>    authorized user's file).  We also understand that system administrators
>    may in some cases monitor authorized users in the course of routine
>    system maintenance.  If this is the case, the banner should indicate
>    this fact.  An example of an appropriate banner might be as follows:
>    system maintenance.  If this is the case, the banner should indicate
>    this fact.  An example of an appropriate banner might be as follows:
>
>       This system is for the use of authorized users only.
>       Individuals using this computer system without authority, or in
>       excess of their authority, are subject to having all of their
>       activities on this system monitored and recorded by system
>       personnel.
>
>       In the course of monitoring individuals improperly using this
>       system, or in the course of system maintenance, the activities
>       of authorized users may also be monitored.
>
>       Anyone using this system expressly consents to such monitoring
>       and is advised that if such monitoring reveals possible
>       evidence of criminal activity, system personnel may provide the
>       evidence of such monitoring to law enforcement officials.
>
>Each site using this suggested banner should tailor it to their precise
>needs.  Any questions should be directed to your organization's legal
>counsel.

Given that notices that appear on the outside of shrink-wrap software boxes

Given that notices that appear on the outside of shrink-wrap software boxes
have been held not to constitute a contract; nor that system demands for
"passwords" and "identification" are considered insufficient evidence that
authorized secure access is intended, I find it unlikely that any mere textual
bulletin supplied AFTER logging in would be considered sufficient notice to
unauthorized users.  Most systems let you interrupt such displays anyway.  And
are you sure that your cracker can read at 9600 baud?

>The CERT Coordination Center wishes to thank Robert S. Mueller, III,
>Scott Charney and Marty Stansell-Gamm from the United States Department
>of Justice for their help in preparing this Advisory.
>
>If you believe that your system has been compromised, contact the CERT
>Coordination Center or your representative in FIRST (Forum of Incident
>Response and Security Teams).
>
>Internet E-mail: cert@cert.org
>Telephone: 412-268-7090 (24-hour hotline)
>           CERT personnel answer 7:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m. EST(GMT-5)/EDT(GMT-4),
>           on call for emergencies during other hours.
>
>CERT Coordination Center
>If you believe that your system has been compromised, contact the CERT
>Coordination Center or your representative in FIRST (Forum of Incident
>Response and Security Teams).
>
>Internet E-mail: cert@cert.org
>Telephone: 412-268-7090 (24-hour hotline)
>           CERT personnel answer 7:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m. EST(GMT-5)/EDT(GMT-4),
>           on call for emergencies during other hours.
>
>CERT Coordination Center
>Software Engineering Institute
>Carnegie Mellon University
>Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3890
>
>Past advisories, information about FIRST representatives, and other
>information related to computer security are available for anonymous FTP
>from cert.org (192.88.209.5).

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                     THE SECRET SERVICE STRIKES AGAIN

 From the 11/20/92 Boston Globe, p.21 
 (attributed by the Globe to the Orlando Sentinel.)

   Secret Service vetoes a target
   ------------------------------

      Orlando, Fla. -- A right-wing Young Republican group, bowing to
   pressure from the US Secret Service, yesterday backed off plans to
   use enlarged photos of President-elect Bill Clinton as targets for
   a weekend turkey shoot.

      "They came down hard on us, saying we threatened the President,
   things like that," said David Abrami, vice president of the Central
   Florida Young Republican Club.  "So we canceled it."

      When Abrami heard the Secret Service was investigating, he was
   worried.  Yesterday morning, he spoke with the Secret Service, then
   decided to cancel the event.

      "We just figured he's head of the Democratic Party right now,
   and we're Republicans," said Abrami.  "We thought it would be a
   nice parody.  We didn't mean any ill will by it."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                    HACKER IS CHARGED WITH ESPIONAGE 
                    --------------------------------
                    Belleville News Democrat 12/11/92
                             Sec."A" Pg.13

 San Jose Calif-(AP)
 -------------------   
  A 28-year old computer whiz who reportedly once tested Departement of 
 Defense computer security proceedures has become the first alleged computer 
 hacker to be charged with espionage.
  The government says that Kevin Lee Poulson stole classified military secrets 
 should go to prison.But his lawyer calls him,"an intellectually curious 
 computer nerd.".
  Poulsen of Menlo Park,Calif.,worked in the mid-1980's as a consultant 
 testiing pentegon computer security.Beacuse of prosecution delays,he was held
 without bail in a San Jose jail for 20 months before being charged this week.
  His attorney,Paul Metzer,said Thursday that Poulson did not knowingly 
 possess classified information.The military information had been declassified 
 by the time prosocuters by the time Poulson obtained it,Meltzer said. 
  Poulson was arrested in 1988 on lesser,but related,hacking charges.He 
 disappeared  before he was indicted and was re-arrested in Los Angeles is
 April 1991.Under an amended indictment,he was charged will illigal possession
 of classified documents.

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 Section [8]: IIRG Distribution Sites
              (or Gateways to Oblivion)

                
 
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               ////// *  //////  *  //     // * /////////
             
     


    IIRG World HQ:           Dark Shadows 
                             19.2/9600 Baud HST
                             24 Hours a Day
                             1.2 Gigs Online
                             Sysop: Anubis
                             2 Nodes
                             (203)-PRI-VATE


   IIRG Distribution Site 1: Wired World BBS
                             INC Europe
                             TPC Courier (WHQ)
                             THP
                             IIRG Distribution Site
                             Sysop: Digital Justice
                             +39-89-254138

   IIRG Distribution Site 2: Cyberdyne Network Germany
                             United Forces
                             Sysop: E605
                             +49-5341-59004
                             +49-5341-54052
                             

   IIRG Distribution Site 3: The Sanitarium
                             Sysops: Morbid Angel [INC/ACID]
                                     Spectral Illusion [ACID/RAZOR]
                             IIRG Distribution Site
                             ACID Member Board
                             INC Courier Board
                             RAZOR 1911 Courier Board
                             VISA World Headquarters
                             (817)PRI-VATE

   IIRG Distribution Site 4: The WareHouse
                             (203)-231-8589 14.4
                             (203)-231-8588 9600
                             OVER A GIG ONLINE
                             Sysop: Ionizer

   IIRG Distribution Site 5: The Rune Stone BBS
                             14.4k HST
                             Phantasys Home Board
                             Complete IIRG Archives
                             Invitation Only
                             (203)-PRI-VATE

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 Section [9]: Phantasy Distribution Sites

 Phantasy's Distribution Site's are continually growing,we apologize if you
 called a board and didn't find the Mag. Network Distribution Sites will
 have the Issues first, we suggest calling one of them if a problem does
 arise.


  1. Lightning Systems
     (414) 363-4282
     Sixty Million Bytes OnLine
     USRobotics Dual Standard HST/V.32bis
     2400 thru 14.4k v.32bis/HST

  2. Sycamore Elite
     19,200-1200 Baud HST, 24 Hours a day
     (815) 895-5573

  3. The Works BBS
     (617-861-8976)
     Large Text Files BBS, 3500+ text files online.
     2400-300 Baud, 24 Hours a day

  4. Pipers Pit BBS            
     19,200-9600 HST ONLY!!
     24 Hours a Day
     THG Distro Site 1300 Megs
     (203)PRI-VATE [2 Nodes]

  5. Blitzkrieg BBS                  Blitzkrieg Bbs  
     (502)-499-8933                  Post Office Box 20264
     The current NUP is: SAMHAIN     Louisville Kentucky
                                     40250-0264

  6. The Dickinson Nightlight
     (713)-337-1452
     Der WeltanSchauung Distro Site (World View Magazine)
     Phantasy Distro Site


  PHANTASY is also available on:

             1. RIPCO BBS   (312)528-5020
     
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                     PHANTASY(C) IIRG 1991,1992,1993
                        May Odin Guide Your Way!
               Merry Christmas From All of Us at The IIRG
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